Grouser



June 15 (1926.

O. A. HARKNESS GROUSEF Filed Sept. 25, 192].

Patented June 15, 1926.

UN T STATES.

I 1,588,549 PA ENT-OFFI E;

ORRIS a. nanxnnss, or swoon, mama, nssrenon 'ro GREAT noarrmnn PAPER I commmr, or" munmocxnr, mama, A ooaroaarxon or mama.

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: Application filed Septeinber 23, 1921. Serial No; 502,758.

This invention relates to devices designed to be used on the track links of'tractor treads to prevent sli ping. v

Tractorsjo the type are widely used in logging and other operations where they are required to handle heavy loads on very rough ound and in all kinds of weather.

When t e ground is. slippery for any reason,

as for instance when it is covered with ice or when it is wet and contains considerable clay, the track links cannot et the same grip on the ground that they 0 under normal conditions, and a great deal of trouble is experienced with slipping. Obviously if the links slip longitudinally or lengthwise of the track, the tractive effort or hauling power of the machine is greatly reduced. If

the ground traversed under these conditions vis very rough or hilly, an additional difli- 90 cult is introduced by the sidewise slipping have been of such a nature that they do not prevent the sidewise slipping of the tractor, which is fully as troublesome under some conditions as the longitudinal slipping. .An

additional objection to grousers of the forms heretofore generally used has been that they caused the track links to tip longitudinally,

- and this tipping movement exerts a yank on the whole track assembly. I

The present invention has for its general object to devise a grouser. which will overcome the; difficulties above mentioned and will satisfy the practical re uirements for a device of this character. fS tated more specifically, the invention aims to devise a grouser that-will prevent both sidewise and longitudinal slipping, which will'be simple but sturdy and substantial in construction, economical to manufacture, can be quickly {and securely fastened to the track links and removed. therefrom, and which will not be liable tobreak or drop ofi.

---The.nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features Wlll be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a track link equlpped with a grouser embodying the present lnvention, and also including a portlon of the next adjacent link;

Fig. 2 is a cross'sec'tional view. substan tially on the line 2-2, Fig; 1, certain of the parts, however, being shown in elevation; 1 nI l;1g. 3 is an angular view of an individual Fig.4 is an exploded-view in perspective of the grouser provided by this invention;' I and 1 I Fig. 5 is a perspective'view showing the lower side of the wedge that forms a part of this grouser.

The drawings show the invention embodled in a form designed especially for use on the track links of the Holt tractor. Each of these links has a truss-shaped body portion 2 and a treadpart 3 integral with said body. The opposite sides of the tread portion of the link are grooved or recessed, as indicated at 4 and 5, these grooves extending upwardly from the tread face of the link, and being inclined outwardly, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The present invention utilizes this grooved construction in securing the grousers to the links.

The detailed construction of the grouser is best shown in Fig. 4, from which it will be seen that vit includes a bar 7, having arms 8 and.9 projectin from opposite edges thereof. This bar is designed to extend transversely across the tread face of the link from one .side thereof to the other,

as shown in Fig. 2, while the arms 8 and 9 extend longitudinally of the link, as shown in Fig. 1, and the inner surfaces of these parts (that is, the surfaces which are toward the inner side of the path of travel of the links and which are uppermost in Figs. 1, 2 and l)- are shaped to conform to the portions of the tread face of the link which they engage. It will be seen that the ends of the arms 8 and 9 are curved upwardly slightly to fit the curves of the treadface of the link.

A projection 10 extends downwardly from the bottom of the bar 7 for nearly its entire length and is V-shaped in vertical cross section to form a ground engaging calk. Similar projections 12 and 13 extend downwardly from the arms 8 and 9, and form longitudinal calks; that is, they extend longitudinally of the link. The transverse calks 10 hold the links against slipping longitudinally or lengthwise of the track, and thus prevent the tractor from losing its tractive efiort on slippery going, while the longitudinal calks 12 and 13 prevent the tractor from slipping or slewing sidewise. These longitudinal calks are partially cut away, as shown at 14k, 14:, Fig. 1, at points close to their junction with the transverse calk 10, this construction reducing the tendency of the calks to collect mud and snow; or, in other wo to ball up.

For thepurpose of securing the grouser to the tractor track link it is provided at one end with an arm 15 which'is integral with the bar 7 and extends upwardly at the proper angle to fit into the groove 5 at one side of the link. A head 16 is also formed integral with this arm at the upper or inner end thereof to fit against the inclined wall 17 of the link at the upper or inner end of the groove. The bar 7 at this end also is provided with lugs 18, 18, Fig. 4, that fit snugly into the base of the groove 5. At its opposite end the grouser is provided with another lug 19, which fits snugly into the base of the groove 4, and a tapered hole 20 is formed through this end of the bar and through the lug 19 to receive the tapered shankor head of a bolt 21. This bolt extends through -the groove a and through a hole formed in a wedge 22 which rests on the inner inclined edge 2% of the wall of the groove. The lower face of thiswedge is shaped to fitv the edge 24, and is provided with lugs 25, 25 at its opposite ends that extend over the outer edges of the boss or projection in which the groove 4: is formed and act to prevent movement of the wedge lengthwise of the link. The

upper surface of this Wedge 22 forms a flat seat to receive a nut 26 which is threaded on the bolt 21 and is locked thereon in any convenient manner, for instance, by a cotter pin 27.

It will now be appreciated that this invention provides a very simple but sturdy construction for securing the grouser to a track link. The lugs 18 and 19 fitting snugly in the bases of the grooves 5 and 4, respectively, prevent movement of the grouser in any direction parallel to the tread face of the link; while the head 16 at one end of the bar, and the bolt 21 and nut 26 at the opposhank, as shown, theliability of this part to I break is very substantially reduced; and the wedge 22 affords a very solid seat for the nut 26, so that there is no canting or tipping strain on the bolt, all the strain being exerted lengthwise of the bolt. The lugs, 18 and 19 also relieve the arm 15 and bolt 21 from sheering strains to which otherwise they would be subjected by the forces tending to slide the bar over the face of the link. Since the calks extend both longitudinally and transversely of the tread face of the link and have relatively sharp edges, they effectually prevent slipping in any direction and they thus overcome the difficulties experi: enced in the practical use of prior forms of grousers. While I have shown and described the in.- vention as embodied in a grouser designed especially for use on the track links of the Holt tractor, it will be'understood that the invention is not limited to useon this particular make of tractor, and that minor changes may beniade in the details ofv the construction shown without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A grouser for tractor track links of the type having, a groove in each side thereof, comprising a bar adapted to extend across the tread face of one of said links and shaped to fit against said face, a calk projecting from said bar, lugs at the opposite ends of said bar, rigid therewith, and shaped to fit snugly within said grooves, an arm projecting from one end of said barand shaped to extend through one of said grooves, said arm having a head on the end thereof to rest on said link at the upper end of the groove, and a bolt extending through the end of said bar opposite to said arm and arranged to secure the latter end of said arm to the link.

- 2. A grouser for tractor track links of the type having a recess in the tread portion bolt having a tapered shank, said bar hav ing a hole extendin through said lug and tapered to receive said shank.

3. A grouser for tractor track links-of the type having a groove in each side thereof, comprising a bar-shaped to extend across the tread face of one of said links, a' calk projecting from said bar, means for securing said bar to said link, and lugs at opposite ends of said bar, rigid therewith, and shaped to fit snugly in said grooves.

4. A grouser for tractor track links of the type having a groove in one side thereof, comprising a bar shaped to extend across the tread face of the link, a calk projecting from said bar, and means for securingsaid bar to said link including a bolt extending through one end of the bar, a nut threaded on said bolt, and a wedge-shaped part on which said nut bears, one face of said part being shaped to seat on said link at the inner end of said groove and the other face of said part forming a seat for said nut.

5. A grouser for tractor track links of the type having a groove in each side thereof,

comprising a bar shaped to extend across the tread face of one of said links, calks project-- ing from said bar and extending transversely to each other, an arm extending from one end of said bar and shaped to extend through one of said grooves, a head on the end of said arm to rest on said link at the inner end of the Wall of one of said grooves, a Wedge having a face shaped to seat on the inner end of the opposite groove, a bolt extending through the end-of said bar opposite to said arm and projecting through said wedge, a nut threaded on said bolt above said wedge and lugs at the opposite ends of said bar, rigid therewith, and shaped to fit snugly in tend across the tread face of one of said links and having projections extending from the front and rear edges thereof, the inner surfaces of said. bar and projections being shaped to fit against the tread face of the link, calks projecting from the outer surfaces of said bar and projections and extending both transversely and longitudinally of the link, one of said calks being cut away adjacent to the other, and means for securing said bar to one of said links.

A grouser for tractor track links of the type having a groove in each side thereof, comprising abar designed to extend across the tread face of one ofsaid links,.and having projections extending from the front and rear edges thereof, the inner surfaces of said bar and projections being adapted to fit against the tread face of the link, calks projecting from the outer surfaces of saidbar and projections and extending both transversely and longitudinally of the linkQlugs at the opposite ends of said. bar, rigid therewith, and shaped to fit snugly within said grooves, and parts connected with the opposite ends of said bar for securing said bar to one of said links.

ORRIS A. HARKNESS. 

